School Nurse Job Description - Salary, Education and Career Guide for Becoming a School Nurse

School nurse jobs offer an excellent opportunity for those who enjoy working with children and prefer an academic or non-hospital environment to working in a hospital or clinic.

Job Description

School nurse responsibilities vary from day to day, and can include vision and hearing tests, health education, and dealing with medical emergencies. In some cases, school nurses need to care for students with complex health conditions, such as bulimia, epilepsy or diabetes. An elementary school nurse’s responsibilities often include making sure children are immunized before starting kindergarten. School nurses may also
  • advise teachers, parents, and administrators on general health education issues
  • administer daily medications to children
  • communicate with parents and guardians about health issues
  • handle any emergency care.
 
Although sometimes challenging, school nurse jobs can be highly rewarding. A school nurse ensures students’ health, allowing the student to focus on academics and socializing. A school nurse might be the only one in a child’s life who recognizes a potentially life-threatening condition such as anorexia.
 
Due to the laws requiring mainstreaming physically and mentally challenged students into regular courses, school nurses may have challenges caring for special education students. They may be asked to assess those students’ health, which can be difficult as some mentally challenged students may have problems expressing themselves.

Salary Guide

Salaries for school nurses vary depending on:
  • area in which they live
  • level of continuing education
  • level of experience
  • resources of the employing institution.
 
Recent surveys have shown that the average annual salary of school nurses in the United States is about $48,000 a year. Earnings ranged from under $34,000 to more than $69,000. The top-paying areas were California, Massachusetts, Hawaii, New Jersey, and Maryland.

Education and Training

If you are wondering how to become a school nurse, the most typical method begins with earning an Associate’s degree in Nursing (ADN) or a bachelor’s degree in the field (BSN). After earning a degree, you must pass a national licensing exam. You will need about four years to graduate from the average BSN program. ADN degrees usually require two to three years’ commitment. Another method, known as a diploma program, is administered in a hospital and takes about three years. For those who want to earn an advanced degree, master’s degree programs (MSN) are available. These usually take two years and are earned after becoming an RN.
 
For those who have already have earned a bachelor’s or master’s degree in a non-nursing field, you have the option of entering an accelerated BSN program, which usually takes from a year to 18 months.
 
Regardless of which path you choose, expect to experience a combination of supervised clinical work in a hospital and classroom learning. Your coursework will include psychology, physiology, anatomy and chemistry.
 
You can be licensed in one or more states. Additionally, you will need to renew your license at various intervals.
 
Certain states also require school nurse certification, which is typically attained through the Department of Health or Education. You can also earn national certification.

Prior Work Experience

Previous employment as a nurse working with children will help if you are considering applying for school nurse jobs. In addition, prior experience can help you to earn a higher registered nurse salary. State school nurse consultants also may earn higher salaries, as they are specialists and interact with other school nurses and school districts to encourage quality health programs and nursing services.

Career Advancement

Once you become a school nurse, there are many options for advancement within the field. These include:
  • obtaining desirable positions, such as employment at a prestigious private school
  • opportunities for advancement, such as becoming the head school nurse in a large school district
  • shifting to other areas of school nursing, such as changing from elementary to a high school.
 

Related Associations and Groups

  • American Association of Colleges of Nursing
  • American Nurses Association
  • National Association of School Nurses.
 
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